After The Before
by BreakfastApple
Summary: The Justice League are still branded as criminals, the Reach plan for apocalyptic disaster, and The Light is up to no good. With the Justice League in danger, can they count on the Young Justice team to help or possibily save the Earth? And what's going on in the team's personal life? Read and find out! More detail inside.
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER/ATHOR NOTE**

Skip if you want to get straight to the story, but please go through the second last paragraph. Thanks.

Let's get to the point, shall we? I do not own the canon characters. What I do own though is the original characters. I did receive help, someone inspired this without even knowing they did, and also helped me with the first chapter. Thanks.

This fanfic revolves around the Superboy/Wonder Girl ship. However, I might put some other ships in here and I will definitely include all the characters and not just focus on Conner/Cassie. I'll also be trying to avoid a triangle between M'gann/Conner/Cassie, though there might be a bit drama at first.

I will be straight with you, as the author, I will admit my grammar and spelling is not always the best. Feel free to review and give me some helpful criticism. Also, if this is not your cup of tea then please don't review if you're going to be a complete asshole. I really do welcome all opinions/comments but keep it respectful. I'm a human being, I also have feelings.

I hope you enjoy this, and please, feel free to review! Would love to read what you all think.

**PROLOGUE****  
**  
"Please, don't- don't leave me," he begged in a desperate whisper over her limb body, her breaths slow and heavy as the blood rushed out into the cold air.

"I- I can't keep my eyes open,"

"You can, you have to, I- I love you." As soon as the words were spoken it was as if nothing else but the two of them existed. The only sounds he could hear were her breath and his own, and all he could focus on was her eyes and the weak smile that broke over her lips.

"I love you too, Conner." These words, barely audible as they were, were her last. The small, soft smile that had appeared on her wounded features faded as her beautiful eyes closed.

The pain was unbearable. It was overwhelming. All of the sudden Conner felt completely alone. As soon as her chest stopped moving and he could no longer hear her gentle heart beat, everything felt heavy. The tears that fell from his eyes felt like anchors, pulling him closer to the ground. His arms remained carefully around her body, but the rest of him sunk.

"Conner!" Nightwing arrived in a panic, running as fast as he could towards his teammates, but the sight before him made him stop in his tracks. "What happened?"

"She's dead... And it's all my fault."

**CHAPTER ONE: EXPECTATIONS****  
**  
_Mount Justice__  
__14:36 PM_

"He makes it look so easy," Conner muttered in frustration as he flipped through an album, it's pages covered with images of Clark Kent as a gawky teenager. Superman invited him to meet his Earth parents after a mission, perhaps even figure out a proper background story and to give him a place to call home. Honoured wasn't even the word to describe how he felt, however, Conner also had a strong feeling of doubt brewing inside of him.

"I'm hopeless," he sighed, placing the album aside before he pushed himself onto his feet and stared at his tall, teenage figure in the mirror. For a minute he wondered why he was even there, who he was expected to become and if he's even worthy. Of course he thought of this more than he would care to admit, but the answers never really seem to make themselves clear, not even now. If he had to be honest to himself, he felt like the answer was no; no he's not worthy. He has met the Kent's before, but it was a brief encounter and before he could say more than his name he and Superman had to leave. Now he had to have dinner, an actual conversation... A family experience of sorts. Was he worthy of all that? He wasn't sure, but the word 'no' still echoed in his head.

He pulled up his nose at the person staring back at him, one problem standing out to him above all; what he should wear. He knew he had to dress like a normal teenager, so his usual black and red Superboy T-shirt was out of the question -since it won't exactly hide his true identity- then he had to consider 'blending in'. He had to look like a Kent, and the photo album of Clark was the closet to an example of how a Kent looked that he had.

Taking out the worn out, fades jeans and the red flannel shirt from the sports bag he laid them out on the couch and frowned at the site. "And I thought the tights were bad."

"Mmm, I don't know, I think you can pull the farm boy look off." A familiar voice spoke up from behind him, taking him off guard. He flinched, more than a little surprised that someone was able to enter his range of hearing without him noticing. The owner of the voice- a dainty girl with golden blond hair that lit up the whole room and bright blue eyes like the sky, she wore the Wonder Woman emblem proudly across her chest- and although she was barely any taller than Robin, the way she stood made her seem that way. At her side looped a golden lasso, much like Wonder Woman's own, but he knew from first-hand experience it did more than just sting.

"Wonder Girl" he muttered, and then scowled "What are you doing in my room?"

The way she smiled made him think of Artemis and M'gann; sweet, well intended but also dangerously invasive and sharp. Conner knew Wonder Girl was easy to misjudge, but as time passed he realized she was strong, physically and mentally, and although he would deny it, he admired her on the battlefield. She was able to think on her feet, rebound quickly and if she slipped up she always handled it calmly and responsibly. If he wasn't who he was, he would tell her all of that.

It wasn't that he would feel embarrassed and silly; he had his admirations and his compliments of every single one of his teammates. Wally, always enthusiastic and clever. Blue Beetle, although they all doubted him in the beginning, he turned out to be loyal, a rock to lean on and a great, reliable friend. Conner could go on about all of them for weeks, but he doubted he ever will. It wasn't his 'style'.

"You know," she said in a steady voice that drilled through his thoughts "When I became Wonder Girl I dressed just like Wonder Woman. I think I even wore a black wig."

Had it been Kid Flash or Robin, or even Kaldur or M'gann, he would have felt embarrassed over what he was doing. You might even say his pride would be wounded. Wonder Girl, however, piqued his curiosity. He turned his eyes to the flannel red shirt and picked it up, running his thumbs gently over the material.

"So, what's your point?" He asked straightforward and to the point, looking at her through slits. Cassie stared up at him without a flinch, her stare actually intimidating and filled with slight annoyance, directed at his lack of patience.

"I tried to look like her because I felt like it's expected of me. Like it was the only way I'd be accepted." Her eyes turned to the floor, a moment of shame flashing over her face. It was hard for her to become the person she is today, but she realized without those difficulties she wouldn't be the person she is and quickly recovered. "Her sister was supposed to become her successor, right? But then she got sick and there I was. For a long time I wanted Wonder Woman to accept me as part of her; like a sister. I wanted to show her I _can_ be like her, that I am worthy." Her voice trailed off, but she pulled it back with a few gentle shakes of the head. "Anyway, my point is I soon realized I didn't need to be, or look, exactly like her to be accepted. When I became my own person, I became worthy."

"And?" He interrupted impatiently.

"_And_ here I am."

"Completely different,"

"Completely different," she agreed, smiling, but not quite sure if he truly got what she was trying to say. "But I'm the same as Wonder Woman in many ways too. It's up to us to keep a bit of them with us while at the same time becoming your own person." He didn't need to look exactly like Clark did; he should just be himself and still somehow fit into the 'family'. She hoped he would understand, because at that moment she had no clue whether he did or didn't. His features were like stone and she struggled to read him.

"It's tough, I know. It's not easy to be a teen wonder from the big three." She paused, stepping closer, the smile never fading as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "But luckily we don't need to be exactly like they are."

Although she made sense, Conner still thought Wonder Girl didn't know the half of it. Looking at the blond at a different angle than he did before, behind that impish glance and mischievous smile, he realized there was true sympathy. 'The Big Three'- Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman- were what Wally dubbed as a 'triple threat' in the world. For Robin, representing Batman came easily, or at least it always seemed that way. Superboy fought months for his rights as a human being and to be accepted by those around him. And most importantly, to accept himself. He knew he and Clark had this in common. However, every single one of them had their challenges; some still try to conquer theirs. Yet somehow he always had something to conquer about himself, the problem was he had no idea what exactly that was. That's where he and Superman differed. Clark knows who he is and what he wants, Conner doesn't. And how can he follow Wonder Girl's advice if that was the case.

Wonder Girl winked- somehow motivating him- before she lifted off the ground, now matching his height. "There's a difference between living up to your expectations of yourself, and their expectations of you. We want to be just like they are, and they want us to be the best we can possibly be. Ourselves."

Conner was a bit taken aback by her words, expecting that sort of thing to come from M'gann. He started to wonder about Wonder Girl, the few minutes of conversation changed his view of her completely. Before they barely spoke besides the usual mission chatter and the awkward 'hi' and 'bye' in the hallways, now, however, they actually talked and for some reason unknown to Conner she intimidated him more and more by the second, yet sparking curiosity at the same time.

Although her words made him pause, his features frozen for too long, he still ended up with furrowed brows. It was easy for her to say, and tempting to believe, but as he was told multiple times; he's quite stubborn. "It's not that easy," he scowled "you can't be yourself if you don't know who you are. You can't be great when you're not even sure if you're worth what you've been given..."

"Stop doubting yourself, maybe then you'll find who you are." She interrupted, her eyes almost furious. "It took me forever to see myself as Wonder Girl, and when I finally convinced myself that I am I found myself." Her voice was much softer towards the end, her eyes turning soft which calmed him without his consent.

Superboy's been accused of having anger problems, which were true accusations, but he has learned how to channel anger into a good thing. However, the anger he felt at Wonder Girl's words, which answered questions he asked long ago, couldn't be channelled into an 'ass kicking'. Although it didn't need to, her eyes hypnotized him into a relaxed state, and for more than five seconds there was complete silence between the two.

Conner opened his mouth but no words came out. She had given him answers, guidance to answers and motivation for the evening to come. The frustrating part was that he didn't find those answers and motivations himself, and the fact that they didn't come sooner annoyed him. However, he found himself calm, and therefore able to force out the words "Thanks, Wonder Girl."

Conner didn't say 'thanks' often, and this Wonder Girl knew. She tried her best to suppress a grin, knowing it would frustrate him until no end, but she failed, proven by the eye roll he smugly gave her in reply to the smile. The moment was amusing to her, for it showed her more about Conner than the few months she's been with the team did.

The silence between them was turning awkward, and naturally her eyes darted around the room as she tried to remember why she was there. But her eyes caught a shocking, yet amusing sight along the way. Laughing softly, she landed gracefully to her feet and walked over to a pile of broken glasses. Next to it was three whole ones. This confused her until she saw one of the photo's Conner must have pulled out before she arrived. Clark was wearing glasses. A sigh escaped her lips but a smile still managed to form as she picked one up and walked back to where she was before. Wonder Girl looked up to him with those odd, human eyes and brows quirked quizzically. She waved the glasses in her hands and shook her head.

"Can't quite picture you in these." She looked over to the broken pile of glasses "And neither can your super strength, it would seem." With a chuckle her eyes met his. For a second she allowed herself to stare, and then she did something which caught him off guard once again.

"There," She placed the glasses across the bridge of his nose, then guided the taller teenager toward the unscathed mirror. In Superboy's reflection stood a teenager: tall and stocky, broad and gawky. Even without the flannel shirt and worn out jeans he could see Conner Kent staring back at him, waiting for a motion. He breathed.

"I..." Mystified at the sight of himself, Conner slowly turned his head to look down at the tiny girl. Through his astonishment, a smile fumbled across his lips.

"I think you should get dressed in those," she gestured to the clothes on the couch "And maybe add cowboy boots to make all this you're own."

"Thanks, Wonder Girl... Again." To say she was flattered was an understatement. Had the dizzy glasses not been distorting his vision, he would have sworn she was blushing.

"Cassie. You can call me Cassie." Before she fainted due to all her blood rushing to her cheeks, she lifted from the ground, hovering three feet in the air with the lasso dangling around her belt loop. She soared for the door, handle laced beneath her hand, and smiled joyfully. "I really only came here to tell you Superman's waiting up front. You will look good, by the way, Conner. You should show M'gann on your way out."

Struggling to keep his smile, Conner nodded. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Alright." She allowed herself to linger for a moment, her eyes scanning the image of him with the glasses into her memory before she left the room, the sound of the door clipping shut echoing in her wake.

"Bye." He whispered, his eyes drawn to the clothes but his mind was drawn back to the memories of M'gann and him. He missed her, but he still couldn't forgive her.

In an attempt to push those thoughts away, he grabbed the clothes and in a matter of seconds was dressed in them. It felt strange, not quite right. The frame which rested on the bridge of his nose irritating his skin and the new shirt changing his entire posture. He felt different, if he had to loosely describe it, he would say he felt like the boy who's always picked last, the boy no one wanted on their team. Normal teenagers referred to people like that as nerds, geeks, weirdos. That was the exact opposite of Superboy, which was exactly what he wanted.

He grabbed the boots and stuck his feet in them, and then Conner Kent took one last look into the mirror- to the tall boy in a flannel shirt, faded jeans, and a pair of grimy cowboy boots- and held his breath.

Keeping Cassie's words in mind, he made his way to the door, and hoped for the best.


	2. Chapter 2

**AUTHOR NOTE:**

Hey! Thank you to everyone who read, reviewed, fav and followed! Means a lot!

To answer a few questions; Sorry, can't reveal who died, but it might not be who you think it is.

Also, sorry I took a bit longer than I thought I would to update, had internet problems for a few days and got distracted by Arrow. Just bought the season and it's pretty awesome! I hope you enjoy this chapter; I'll try to make the next one a bit longer.

Reviews welcome!

**CHAPTER TWO: DISCOVERIES**

**_Gotham City__  
__January 22, 01:16 AM_**

The line stretched taut in his grasp as he swung off from his perch atop the apartment block. The crisp, winter air sliced into his face as he passed, the icy crystals of snow forming little cuts on his cheeks and forehead. His fingers grew numb in the freezing cold, threatening to break his grip on the grapnel, but he landed with a soft thud on the opposite building's window ledge and retracted the line. Unfortunately, he had overestimated the distance he had to travel and his knees rang with the pain of having to absorb the impact.

"Nightwing, come in." A voice rang in his ear, and for a moment he thought of cutting the connection. This was a solo mission; he wanted and needed no help. For months he's been tracking a lead no one else believed in, and now was his chance to prove them wrong. Of course, for Dick, it wasn't about proving them wrong; it was about getting information that could aid the Justice League in their trial. The universe saw them as criminals now, and if he could help them clear their name then he would go to hell and back. And he knew if he asked for help now, they'll only try to convince him he's chasing after nothing.

"Not now." The cold air of Gotham may have stiffened his muscles a bit, but he wasn't about to let it affect his voice.

"At least tell me where you are and what you're up to?" He frowned, and instead of replying he made his way along the snow encrusted stone ledge, being unconsciously careful not to lose his step.

"Dick, answer me." It was clear that this was a command and not a request, and to say he was annoyed by it would be an understatement. The voice -a feminine, compulsive yet striking and commanding voice- belonged to Barbara Gordon, also known as Batgirl. It was hard to ignore his friend, his teammate and at times his voice of reason, but this was his to finish.

"I'm sorry, but I'm fine, don't worry. I'll see you later." And with that the connection was gone. As he reached the ledge's sharp corner, he let loose with another line, this time latching onto a lamp post overlooking Gotham harbor.

Dick knew this could be a goose chase, possibly a trap, and for a moment he doubted his decision to cut Batgirl short. Ever since they were young, before Barbara even became Batgirl, she always had his back somehow. He trusted her, but there was no going back.

His eyes narrowed as he watched a small, white speedboat pull up to the dock. The three men inside stepped out, dressed in white fur coats. Dick allowed a shiver to run down his spine, finally accepting that he was freezing, but still he wouldn't allow that to stop him.

He swung off into the night air again, this time landing with a silent grace atop the harbour warehouse. He crept silently to the edge of the roof, the three men in white entering its shelter. This was it, his chance to discover why the trial has been postponed, why Batman and the others were allowed back to Earth. They all thought there was nothing more to it, that the court had doubts and was starting to hear their case. Dick, however, felt that there was something they're overlooking.

He leapt down onto the roof of a old truck before landing silently onto the ground in front of the warehouse entrance. It was dark, and despite their coats being white as the snow, he couldn't see either of the three men. His eyes narrowed in suspicion as he stepped forward with caution, prepared for any attack.

"You came," a deep, husky voice rang out from the center. "I'm surprised."

"Do you have the information?" Straight to the point, Nightwing didn't want to be there for a second longer than necessary.

"Of course, and your end of the deal?" Nightwing's eyes flashed to his belt which was cloaked in darkness. Everything comes with a price, and if he wanted information he had to give some in return, valuable as it was.

"I have it," he replied, surprised at the doubt that rang out in his voice "Shall we?" As soon as the words left his lips the lights flicked to life, causing Nightwing's eyes to sting as they adjusted.

"Sit," the man with a golden ring around each finger gestured to a chair, the two behind him stepping back, locking their hands in front of their stomach. It was obvious to Nightwing who was in charge and who was the guards. He stepped closer, crossing his arms over his chest with a stare that clearly sated 'no' and 'get to the point'.

The man frowned at Nightwing's refusal and took the seat himself, the two guards remaining not more than two feet away. He raised an eyebrow, his thoughts racing back to the day Batman and the others returned. It all happened so suddenly, none of them were informed, not even the remaining League members. Superman explained that the trial was postponed unexpectedly and that they were allowed back to Earth for the time being. Of course they weren't allowed to leave Earth, not even Green Lantern, for if they do it'll be seen as an attempt of fleeing and they'll be charged guilty. None of them knew why the trial was postponed, and none of them seemed to worry as much as Nightwing did.

"You wish to know why the Justice League returned?" The man spoke, his voice muffled by a sore throat. Dick could smell the tobacco even from where he stood. "Yes, _exactly_ why."

The man exchanged a look with each guard, Dick eyed them suspiciously. He had already observed the men and gathered as much as possible by just their appearance. He was sure he could take them both, their boss included if need be.

"You suspect that the League was sent back to Earth for a different purpose than what they believe? You suspect right." Dick tensed up "The Light has many friends, many who owe them favours. Some of these friends are part of the small group of people that will decide your friends' fate. I'm sure you see where I'm going with this?"

"You're saying that The Light called in a favour to postpone the trial? What could they possibly gain from that, they want the Justice League gone... If this is a trick, I-"

"You're wrong, boy." The man interrupted impatiently "The Light doesn't want the League gone, they want the League _dead_. The court won't give them that." The man's tone sounded frustrated, the seriousness highlighted in his words "They made peace with another enemy of yours and together they plan to kill the League and then destroy the Earth."

"Who's The Light working with?" Dick calmly demanded.

"I don't know, that part I cannot help you with." The man pushed himself to his feet, gesturing with a finger towards the guard while coughing. Dick fought the urge to frown, irritated by the rough cough that sounded like it came from a lung cancer patient. One of the men removed a small case from his fur coat and walked over to where Nightwing stood, pushing it against his chest.

"What's this?" His fingers wrapped around the small wooden case, the thought of a bomb crossing his mind. Nightwing stepped closer to the man and his guards for insurance. If it was a bomb, he wasn't planning on allowing it to detonate.

"Something that might help you. I might not care about other's lives, but I do care about my own. I don't want the Earth to be destroyed or to be ruled by The Light." The disgust in the man's voice echoed in Nightwing's thoughts "Now, for your end of the bargain?"

"Here," Nightwing threw a small device to the same guard who handed him the case. "All the security codes and access information you need is on there. Remember, we might come after you."

"But you'll handle it."

"I'll try," he frowned, reached into his belt and threw a marble like device -a gas pellet- which caused a cloud of black smoke to fill the room. Once it cleared, he was gone.

**_Mount Justice__  
__January 22, 15:09_**

"Stop eating, you're going to explode!" The sweet sound of laughter reached Conner's ears as he neared M'gann's room.

"Can't explode because I can't get fat. Benefits of being a shapeshifter, sis." Beast Boy's munching soon replaced the sense of joy the laughter brought with annoyance, putting an end to his super hearing.

Sometimes Conner couldn't help himself, he saw his hearing abilities as both a gift and a curse. Of course he could turn it off and on, so to speak, but every now and then his subconscious mind would kick in and he would catch a few words here and there, if not the whole conversation.

He stood in front of the door for what felt like an hour, but as soon as he lifted his fist to knock, the sound of footsteps heading his way interfered and he stepped away. Although Conner didn't believe in fate, claiming that it's corny, he wasn't sure if he should knock and perhaps this was the universe's way of telling him he shouldn't.

"Superboy," Barbara greeted with a nod as she passed, her entire body tensed and her voice angered. Conner could see she wasn't in a good mood and he figured she must have returned from a mission that didn't quite go as planned.

In truth, Barbara was furious. The more she tried to hide it the more it showed. It's been a cold, long night and she couldn't close an eye. She found it difficult to sleep lately, every time she closed her eyes and drifted away, she would drift into a nightmare. It started to get to her, so boxing in the gym started to replace sleep in the cold nights at Mount Justice. She found it relaxing, soothing, at least until she spotted Dick sneaking out more than once.

Barbs knew he could take care of himself, but the way he treated everyone the last few days worried her, she knew he was up to something, and following him at nights proved to be useless since he always caught her. Nightwing's been missing in action for two days, Batgirl knew he would have informed someone of his disappearance, but no one seemed to know anything.

"Hey, wait up," Conner called and jogged until he was walking next to her. He wondered whether he would regret not knocking on Mgann's door, and he had a feeling he would, but he would rather hear what was up with Barbara than have Garfield laugh at his shoes. "What's up? You look... troubled."

"I'm fine," clearly she wasn't, her tone of voice gave it away and he didn't know whether he should poke the bear further on tiptoe away.

"Yeah, right."

She sighed "I'm fine, it's Dick I'm worried about. He's been gone for two days and I've been trying to contact him since last night."

"So he didn't answer and now you think he's kidnapped or something?" Conner raised a brow. Girls and their paranoia, he thought.

"Well no, he answered this morning, but briefly, I still don't know where he is and why." Barbs frowned, annoyed, frustrated, angry and worried all together.

Conner shrugged "He probably needs alone time or something, don't stress it," they entered the hall where Superman was waiting "This is my stop, see you later." He walked on, waving back to Barbara with little interest, his eyes remaining front. Conner was different from a lot of them; he knew Nightwing could handle himself so he hardly gave a second thought to Barabara's worries. Perhaps others would have, but all he could focus on now was the Kent's and how much he wanted this to work out. Of course he wouldn't admit that to anyone, not even Clark, but he wanted to feel part of something... normal.

Barabara narrowed her eyes in frustration as she watched Superboy leave without a care, and then she realized he was wearing different clothes which brought a smile to her lips for the first time in hours. She thought he looked oddly good, but extremely ridiculous. However, her thoughts didn't remain on the subject for long before it bounced back to Nightwing. Honestly, she had no idea why she was so concerned over him and whatever he was up to.

"Maybe Conner was right. Maybe he just wants some time to himself." She sighed, shrugging to herself before crossing her arms over her chest "I just hope you're okay," she whispered as if she was whispering it to Dick. It was difficult for Batgirl to pinpoint the feeling she felt when she thought of him, but in a way she felt she already has, she just didn't want to admit it to herself.

She turned around and slowly made her way back the way she and Conner came, her eyes glued to the floor.

**_Gotham City  
23 January, 11:13 PM_**

"He's waking up," a blurred man with a thin voice spoke over the pounding inside Nightwing's skull.

"Good, time to find out where he hid it."

"And if he won't tell us, boss?"

"Then we make him beg for death."


End file.
